"Forging Wild" brings together the profound talents of Marianne Potterton, Cecilia Danell, and Elizabeth Cope, three artists whose work delves deeply into their unique engagements with the natural environment. This exhibition allows each artist to explore and express the raw and intricate beauty of nature through their diverse artistic practices.
Marianne Potterton lives her art as much as she creates it, drawing from the wild terrains of Doolin and beyond. Her artworks, often large-format and created with acrylic ink, incorporate natural elements such as rainwater and dew, embodying the spontaneous and ephemeral interactions between artist and landscape.
Cecilia Danell, originally from Sweden, revisits the forests of her childhood to gather inspiration and materials, creating pieces that interrogate the romanticization of wilderness. Her works, both paintings and sculptural objects, evoke a surreal quality that blurs the line between the real and the constructed.
Elizabeth Cope’s expressive, gestural paintings are a vivid dance of color and emotion, capturing the chaos and beauty of her surroundings in Kilkenny. Her approach to painting as a spiritual and emotional exercise is reflected in the dynamic energy of her canvases.
This exhibition is an invitation to explore the wild through the lens of three visionary artists. Their interpretations of nature not only reflect their personal journeys but also pose questions about our collective experience of the natural world.
Visit Us
"Forging Wild" is available for viewing until June 8th. We are open from Tuesday to Saturday, 12 PM to 5 PM, offering a free cultural exploration of contemporary art's intersection with nature.
Artist Profiles for "Forging Wild"
Marianne Potterton
Marianne Potterton's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her connection to nature and her dedication to spontaneous creation. Living and working in Doolin, Potterton draws inspiration from her surroundings and her extensive travels, including multiple pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago and explorations in the Burren. Her art-making process is intuitive, often involving the use of natural materials like rainwater and locally collected dew. This connection to her environment is vividly expressed in her large-format acrylic ink paintings, where she creates controlled accidents that resemble and reflect natural landscapes. Her current work emphasizes playful and experimental interactions with water, capturing the dynamic essence of the natural world.
Cecilia Danell
Cecilia Danell, originally from Sweden but based in Galway, brings a nuanced perspective on the natural landscape through her art. Her practice involves returning to her family farm in Sweden to walk and gather research material, which she uses to challenge romantic notions of untamed wilderness. Her work, which includes both painting and sculptural objects, often portrays managed forest landscapes that reflect her deep engagement with the psychogeography of place. Danell's art transcends simple visual representation, inviting viewers to consider the psychological and environmental layers of the landscapes she depicts. She is a recipient of multiple awards, including the prestigious RHA Hennessy Craig Award, highlighting her impact in the contemporary art scene.
Elizabeth Cope
Elizabeth Cope's vibrant and expressive paintings emerge from her deep emotional involvement with her subjects. Based in Shankill, her approach to art is both passionate and dispassionate, allowing her to capture the chaos and spirituality of everyday life. Cope's work, often large in scale and bold in color, reflects her commitment to painting as an ongoing act of exploration and expression. Her dynamic brushwork and compelling compositions invite viewers into a personal yet universal world of emotional and environmental engagement. With a career spanning over 40 years and exhibitions worldwide, Cope continues to be a significant figure in the Irish and international art scenes.